The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife-Chapter 453: Eight-Eight-Eight, A Wish for Prosperity

Nanli immediately took Chu Shuo to find Madam Shen. Inside the Moon Pavilion, Madam Shen was busy sewing a tiger-head hat for her little grandson.

As soon as Chu Shuo entered and saw it, he instinctively remarked, "Mother, this tiger-head hat is too plain with just the embroidery. It would look better with some gold or gemstones."

Madam Shen kept her smile, shaking her head gently, "No need, plain is better. The couple likes it that way."

Chu Shuo, sensing that his suggestion was not welcomed, remained silent but signaled Nanli with a glance.

Madam Shen invited them to sit down and ordered a maid to serve tea. Nanli then brought up the purpose of their visit, "Mother, you know how Second Brother is; he wants his wedding to be a grand celebration."

Madam Shen rarely showed a stern face, but upon hearing this, she cast a serious look at Chu Shuo. Instead of explaining to her daughter, she instructed a maid to bring a book, saying, "A’Li, take a good look and see what your Second Brother plans for his wedding."

Nanli, somewhat puzzled, took the book. Upon opening it, she discovered that it was a detailed wedding plan, outlining everything from the processions to the attire, with intricate details--thick and thorough.

"Second Brother, did you prepare this yourself, or did someone else come up with it?" Nanli asked, genuinely impressed.

Pleased with what he perceived as praise, Chu Shuo proudly replied, "I gathered a team of ten people to follow my ideas. It’s not fully completed yet, but it’s about sixty to seventy percent there."

Nanli thought to herself, This is a full-on wedding planning team!

She started reading from the first page, initially intrigued. But as she read further, her smile faded. The wedding procession was to be dressed in robes embroidered with gold threads. The bridal sedan chair was to be adorned with gold and rainbow stones, focusing on opulence and luxury. Even the horse that Chu Shuo would ride for the procession was to be fitted with a gold-inlaid jade saddle. And the wedding garments were so heavily embellished with gold and gemstones that it was hard to see any red fabric at all!

She raised her head and asked, "Isn’t this a bit too flashy? And your future sister-in-law agreed to this?"

"How is it flashy?" Chu Shuo defended himself. "She was very pleased with the jewel crown I designed. But when my future father-in-law saw it, he didn’t say much except to insist that I redesign it. You don’t know how much effort I put into it..."

Nanli flipped to the page showing the jewel crown and couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. Since Chu Shuo had no official title, the wedding attire couldn’t overstep certain boundaries--symbols like dragons and phoenixes were out of the question. But since he had money, he used the most precious thing currently available in the Mu Nation--East Sea mermaid pearls!

The crown he designed, besides being adorned with gemstones and gold, was embedded with ten large mermaid pearls, with tassels made of smaller pearls on both sides. Wearing this crown would be like declaring, Look, I’m the most beautiful and extravagant person in the capital!

While it didn’t overstep any rules, it was enough to make every noblewoman in the city seethe with jealousy.

Madam Shen added, "A’Li, this is the so-called ’simple’ plan he mentioned." She handed over another booklet.

Nanli, now mentally prepared, wasn’t as shocked this time. Chu Shuo’s idea of ’simple’ was to reduce the number of people in the wedding procession, cut down on three banquet tables, use fewer gemstones on the wedding attire, and remove two mermaid pearls from the crown...

"Second Brother, your idea of ’simple’ is different from the rest of us..." Nanli remarked.

Chu Shuo blinked innocently, "Isn’t this simple? We can’t remove any more pearls from the crown--it has eight pearls, signifying prosperity. But we can discuss cutting down on other things."

Madam Shen began to rub her temples as if she had a headache coming on. "Er Lang, it’s not that Mother doesn’t want you to have a grand wedding, but... Eight pearls or ten pearls, what’s the difference? My point is that even with just one pearl, it would be enough to show wealth."

"Exactly. You should also consider your future sister-in-law’s neck," Nanli said with a serious tone.

Chu Shuo countered, "I asked her before designing it. She said one pearl wasn’t enough. If there was more space on the crown, she’d want to add twenty pearls. Besides, she also thinks that since you only get married once, it should be done properly, even if it means some hardship."

Nanli and Madam Shen exchanged glances. These two really are a match made in heaven...

Chu Shuo then put on a pitiful face, "Mother, can you please talk to the Prime Minister’s family again? Yanyan and I don’t want our wedding to be too plain."

Madam Shen, usually accommodating to her husband and children, was firm this time. "No! The Prime Minister has spoken, and you both must follow the elders’ wishes!"

Chu Shuo pouted, on the verge of tears, "Then what’s the point of earning all that money if I can’t even give Yanyan a decent wedding!"

Madam Shen remained unmoved, not budging an inch. "In the capital, under the Emperor’s watchful eye, you’re neither a prince nor a duke. How can you hold such an extravagant wedding? It would only invite jealousy."

"Mother..." Chu Shuo tried again.

Madam Shen sternly replied, "If you keep pushing, I won’t allow Yanyan to have even a single mermaid pearl on her crown!"

Chu Shuo, now flustered, quickly agreed, "Mother, how about three pearls? One pearl is too meager."

Madam Shen sighed, reluctantly waving her hand. "Fine, no more than three."

Chu Shuo, though somewhat relieved, still left with a heavy heart. As Madam Shen watched him go, she gently shook her head. "Your Second Brother is afraid that others will look down on Yanyan, which is why he wants to go all out. But here in the capital, beneath the Emperor’s gaze, how could he have such a lavish wedding?"

"Maybe you could explain this to Yanyan when you have time. I worry she might think I don’t like her."

Nanli reassured her, "Don’t worry, Mother. She won’t think that."

Madam Shen smiled warmly. "I know. Though the wedding can’t be too extravagant, your father and I agree on one thing--their new residence must be comfortable. The new courtyard will soon be finished, and we’ll let Er Lang handle the rest. I won’t interfere."

After a few more words, Nanli went to Lily Yard to check on Zhongwei and had dinner there.

On her way back to the prince’s mansion, her black carriage was stopped. It was the Black Armor Guard.

"Princess, the Emperor has summoned you to the palace."

Nanli glanced at the darkening sky, feeling a sense of unease. "Lead the way."

Entering the palace, she was taken to the right side of Qianlong Palace. Inside, the warmth of the underfloor heating contrasted with the scent of dragon incense filling the air.

As Nanli entered, she saw Empress Xie and Ye Chengyan standing at the front, while Prime Minister Lu and a few other cabinet ministers waited nearby.

After greeting Empress Xie, the others also bowed to her.

"Is it... Is it Sixth Niece?" Emperor Muwu’s voice came from behind the curtain, weak and frail, clearly indicating his illness.

A servant pulled back the curtain, revealing the Emperor on the dragon bed, his complexion sallow and spiritless.

Ye Siheng, sitting beside him with a somber expression, said, "A’Li, come take your brother’s pulse."

Nanli approached but didn’t immediately reach out. Instead, she softly murmured, "Fate is inevitable."